Printing plate clamp



Dec. l0, 1940. c. 0. SWEET 5 PRINTING PLATE CLAMP Filed April 22, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fiiij my).

L 26"!- l INVENTOR' r; {I ZMBY% V ATTORNEYS Dec. 10, 1940. SWEET' 2.224555 PRINTING PLATE CLAMP Filed April 22, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g/J/MZ V 6:27.973 a2 Y //7///77/77 //7//// /fv;

2? {a8 lNvENfoR ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 10, 1940 PATENT OFFICE.

2,224,555 PRINTING PLATE CLAMP Carl 0. Sweet, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to O. B.

Oottrell & Sons Company, Westerly, It, 1., a corporation of Delaware Application April 22, 1939, Serial No. 269,341

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvement in printing plate clamps which are commonly known as printers register hooks, in which, the register' which is used to propel the hook along the groove in the base by the coaction of a gear carried by the hook and a rack carried by the base.

A further object of my invention is to provide a printer's register hook in which the rack engaging gear is located between the two locks so as to rigidly hold the hook against lost motion with I respect to the plate and its base.

' A still further object is to provide spring means for yieldingly holding the two locks and thereby the hook in their adjusted positions.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which 25 Fig. 1 represents a detail plan view showing a printing plate clamped to' its base;-

Fig. 2 represents a detail longitudinal section taken in the plane of the line 11-11 of Fig.1; Fig. 3 represents a detail cross section taken in the plane of the line III-111 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 represents a detail longitudinal section taken in the plane of the line IV-IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 represents a detail cross section taken in the plane of the line VV of Fig. 4; 35 Fig. 6 represents a detail cross section taken in the plane of the lineVI-VI of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 represents a detail plan view of the hook and its adjacent parts;

Fig. 8 represents a detail horizontal section 40 taken in the plane of the line VIII-VIII of Fig.

4; the two locks being shown in their locked position with respect to the base;

Fig. 9 represents a similar detail section with the locks shown in their released position, housed within the hook body;

Fig. 10 represents adetail horizontal sectiontaken in the plane of the line X-X of Fig.

Fig. 11 represents an inside face view of one of the half members of the hook body with the 50 operating parts removed;

Fig. 12 represents a similar view of the other half member of the hook body with the operating parts removed;-

Fig. 13 represents a side view of a key suitable 55 for use in propelling the hook along its groove and for turning one of the locks into and out of its operative position; and

Fig. 14 represents an edge view of the said key.

The means which I have shown for securing the printing plate in register comprises generally 5 a suitable grooved base and a register hook manually propelled along the base into and out of its plate clamping position. The grooved base may have a flat or curved surface. In the present instance the base is shown as a plate cylin- 10 der I, its cylindrical surface being provided with a plurality of longitudinally disposed helical grooves 2 having racks 3 along their bottom walls and overhanging ledges 4 along the outer portions of their side walls as is usual. The body 15 5 of the hook is divided vertically and longitudinally into two half members which are remov ably fastened together as by screws 6. This hook body is elongated lengthwise and it is shaped to permit its insertion into and its removal from its groove 2 when the hook is unlocked from the base. The jaw l and the double winged lock 8 are formed integral to produce a combined jaw and lock whereby the lock 8 may be turned into and out of its locking position by the manipulation of the jaw l. A neck 9 connects the jaw I with the lock 8, which neck is journaled in a suitable vertical opening In in the hook body, which opening l0 extends upwardly through the 1 top of the body and also downwardly into a recess Ii opening through the sides of the body and shaped to receive the double winged lock 8.

A second double winged lock l2 has a hollow central boss l3 which is journaled in an opening M, which opening extends upwardly through the top of the body and also downwardly into a recess l5 opening through the sides of the body and shaped to receive the said double winged lock I2. This lock I2 is turned into .and out of its locking engagement with the base by means of a suitable instrument such as the key l6 having a shank ll, non-circular in cross section, adapted toflt a vertical recess l8- of non-circular cross section in the lock, which recess l8 opens through the top of the hook body.

The means which coacts with the rack 3 in the groove 2 of the base I for propelling the register hook into and out of its clamping engagement with the plate is shown as comprising the follow- -ing elements. The rack-engaging horizontallyin g vertically disposed worm 23 is located in a shaft extensions 25 and 26 are respectively journaled in the openings 21 and 28 in the top and bottom of the body. The opening 21 communicates with the recess II in which the lock 8 is located.

This hook propelling means is operated by the key l6 whose shank Il may be inserted through the bore 29 01' the combined jaw and lock into the vertical recess 30, of non-circular cross section, in'the worm 23.

Spring means are employed for yieldingly holding both the lock 8 and lock 12 in their adjusted positions. In the present instance the lock 8 is yieldingly held in its adjusted position by a spring pressed ball 3| located in a recess 32 in the hookbody; and the lock I2 is yieldingly held in its adjusted position by a spring pressed ball 33 located in the recess 34, in the hook body.

It will be observed that while the lock 8 may be turned by the manipulation of the jaw 1,:the lock l2 must be turned by a key. It will also be observed that the rack-engaging gear I9 is located between the locks 8 and I2 so that a rigid position 01' the hook within-the groove upon both sides of the said gear may be obtained when the hook is locked therein. a

It 'will also be understood that the locks and jaw as well as the hooks may be of any well known or approved shape, such for instance as substantially that shown and more specifically described in United States Letters Patent 1,486,323, datedMarch 11, 1924.

It is evident that various changes may be resorted to in the construction, form and arrangementlof the several parts withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not intend to be limited to the particular embodiment herein shown and described, but

What I claim is:

1-. In a double lock printer's register hook, a body comprising vertically disposed side members having recesses therein, a turnable plate clamping jaw, a lock formed integral therewith and operated thereby, a second turnable lock spaced from the first lock and operated by a removable key, ,lock retaining means, said side members be- 2,224,555 recess 24 in the body, and its upper and lower ing provided with cooperating recesses adapted to receive said locks together with the lock retaining means, and a hook propelling means including a horizontal shaft, a single gear only mounted thereon and located between and entirely below said lock containing recesses and projecting through cooperating bottom recesses in said side members.

2. In a double lock printer's register hook, a body comprising vertically disposed side members having recesses therein, a turnable plate clamping jaw, a lock formed integral therewith and operated thereby, a second turnable lock spaced from the first lock and operated by a removable key, lock retaining means, said side members being provided with cooperating recesses adapted to receive said locks together with the lock retaining means, said locks being swingably mounted in and adapted for projection through recesses in the upper portions of the side members, and a key operated hook propelling means including a horizontal shaft, .a single rack engaging gear only mounted thereon and located between and entirely below said lock containing recesses and projecting through cooperating bottom recesses in said side members. I

3. A plate holding means including a base, a groove therein, a rack extending along the bottom of the groove and a double lock register hook comprising a body slidable along said groove, said body including vertical side members having recesses therein, a turnable plate clamping jaw, a lock formed integral therewith and operated thereby, a second lock spaced from the first lock and operated by a removable key, lock retaining means, said side members being provided with cooperating recesses adapted to I receive said locks together with the lock retaining means, and a hook propelling means including a horizontal shaft, a single rack engaging gear only mounted thereon and located between and entirely below said lock containing recesses and projecting through cooperating bottom recesses in the side members for coaction with said rack.

CARL C. SWEET. 

